Qalandiya
A calm morning in Qalandiya
O5.15 We parked in the parking—lot which was very full. Around the square there was a lot of activity, with long lines of traffic waiting to pass through the checkpoint. The kiosk was still closed, but the beigel seller was at his post.
All 5 checking stations were open and there was no queue. The turnstile closest to the ‘aquarium’ (soldier’s cubicle) was open so anyone arriving passed through right away .Later, as a queue formed, the soldier would announce each time she was about to close the turnstile. At first we did not understand what she was saying, but one of the men pointed out to us that she was being helpful, because if one is approaching the turnstile quickly and it suddenly closes, one can get hurt.
Towards 5.30 the familiar D.C.O. woman officer arrived. It was unclear why she came so unusually early, but anyway she left after a few minutes. Towards 6 o’clock there was a change of staff in the aquarium. The polite woman soldier was replaced by a soldier who seemed to be new and inexperienced. By now 3 queues had formed. The soldier would open only the nearest turnstile, and even that to allow only a few people through at a time. Of course people were resentful and began to shout, and the lines got much longer, almost to the end of the shed. It took a few minutes for a policeman to arrive, who opened all three turnstiles and let through all who were waiting. Now long lines formed at each of the checking stations, of course, but at least people felt that they were being noticed.
We visited the tea kiosk which had by now opened. When we returned the three turnstiles were again opened and everyone let through. Then an officer appeared, apparently in charge of the soldier in the aquarium. After exchanging a few words with the policeman, he entered the cubicle and seemed to explain to the soldier how to operate the turnstiles. Soon afterwards a D.C.O. officer arrived, but remained unemployed. There was no need to open the Humanitarian Gate as everyone entered the regular lines relatively easily. A policewoman arrived, as well as a security guard.
Everything proceeded calmly, without long lines. We left at 6.25.
We returned via A-Ram. The checkpoint there was not manned. We entered Jerusalem via Hizme, quickly thanks to the light traffic.
Qalandiya Checkpoint / Atarot Pass (Jerusalem)
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Click here to watch a video from Qalandiya checkpoint up to mid 2019 Three kilometers south of Ramallah, in the heart of Palestinian population. Integrates into "Jerusalem Envelope" as part of Wall that separates between northern suburbs that were annexed to Jerusalem in 1967: Kafr Aqab, Semiramis and Qalandiya, and the villages of Ar-Ram and Bir Nabala, also north of Jerusalem, and the city itself. Some residents of Kafr Aqab, Semiramis and Qalandiya have Jerusalem ID cards. A terminal operated by Israel Police has functioned since early 2006. As of August 2006, northbound pedestrians are not checked. Southbound Palestinians must carry Jerusalem IDs; holders of Palestinian Authority IDs cannot pass without special permits. Vehicular traffic from Ramallah to other West Bank areas runs to the north of Qalandiya. In February 2019, the new facility of the checkpoint was inaugurated aiming to make it like a "border crossing". The bars and barbed wire fences were replaced with walls of perforated metal panels. The check is now performed at multiple stations for face recognition and the transfer of an e-card. The rate of passage has improved and its density has generally decreased, but lack of manpower and malfunctions cause periods of stress. The development and paving of the roads has not yet been completed, the traffic of cars and pedestrians is dangerous, and t the entire vicinity of the checkpoint is filthy. In 2020 a huge pedestrian bridge was built over the vehicle crossing with severe mobility restrictions (steep stairs, long and winding route). The pedestrian access from public transport to the checkpoint from the north (Ramallah direction) is unclear, and there have been cases of people, especially people with disabilities, who accidentally reached the vehicle crossing and were shot by the soldiers at the checkpoint. In the summer of 2021, work began on a new, sunken entrance road from Qalandiya that will lead directly to Road 443 towards Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. At the same time, the runways of the old Atarot airport were demolished and infrastructure was prepared for a large bus terminal. (updated October 2021)
Tamar FleishmanFeb-27-2026Qalandiya: On the way to prayer
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